The Different Shades of Grey
by twisted-glass
Summary: "Well Yukikaze," she said, still smiling, "It appears you've died." The Begleiter to the Major General Ayanami, Yukikaze faces a new path before him. Will Yukikaze join with a new, unlikely ally and find the way back, if there is one? Sequel to the 4th chapter in "A Fairytale for the Death God".


_Wow, this author sounds pretty familiar. If not, you should probably check her first story before reading this one, otherwise you'll be one confused reader._

_For those of you that have, welcome! I suddenly received inspiration in the ending of the 4__th__ chapter of my first 07 Ghost fanfic to write this one. This is a companion piece—perhaps it might expand into an actual story, perhaps it might expand to simply chapters of drabble...not so sure—to "Fairytale for the Death God", this time featuring our No.1 favourite princess Eve, and our No.1 favourite begleiter Yukikaze!_

_I hope to publish the 5th chapter of my first story soon in a couple of days. Schooling is torture at the moment..._

_Hope you all enjoy; as usual, I do not, and will never, own 07 Ghost or any of its characters._

* * *

If it was one thing Yukikaze hated, it would be realizing that the worst thing ever has actually happened to him.

Ok, perhaps he should rewind a bit.

Yes...definitely rewind, considering the audience probably had no idea who he even was.

**~0~**

The story actually begins when he had graduated from the military academy.

To his (not actual, but still...rather pleasant) surprise, he received the highest score in the entire division, granting him a very high chance of a brilliant superior for his begleitership. Thrilled, he anxiously sat up in his bed, gazing out of the window at the twinkling stars; his mind was buzzing with too many thoughts for him to calm down and sleep.

It was his dream to join the military—when he was a young boy, he witnessed a military soldier save his father from a close call to death, and since then he had been obsessed with the Barsburg Military. He would attend every parade, read up every single book about the military, and spend hours with his zaiphon. Once he was old enough, to his delight, he received admission to the Military Academy in the first district.

At that time, he remembered the tears in his parents' eyes. The young, naive boy he was, he asked them why they were crying.

"_It's nothing son," his father had gruffly answered. His arm was wrapped tightly around his mother's shaking frame. His mother didn't answer, and instead continued to sob, perhaps even harder._

Simply put, he _loved_ the academy. He suddenly gained access to more advanced textbooks, made enough friends, and held even greater prowess over his zaiphon talents. Of course with his friends also came enemies, but he still enjoyed his days at the academy, but tonight was the last night he would spend here, in this dormitory with his familiar bunk mates from all these years...

He wondered who he would get for a superior during his begleitership. He wanted someone..._interesting_. Sure, he would like it if the superior wasn't a strict person or a slave-driver, but ever since he was young, he was always keen for the unknown, the mysterious, something _new_.

A sudden name popped into his mind. _**Ayanami,**_ he thought, _**The leader of the Blackhawks.**_ Of course, through his voracious bookworm mind, he had already read everything he could about the Major General's background, but didn't find a lot. He was part of a family that used to be part of the royal family...he didn't have any known siblings...and that was about it.

_**He's a warsfeil**_, his mind whispered. Warsfeil were magicians, rumoured to be those tainted by Verloren directly, his servants, but Yukikaze thought it was all just stuff and nonsense. Ayanami-sama was a brilliant fighter, with such a great amount of talent; he would be getting a very high promotion very soon.

_**Like the ex-death god would actually go around killing thousands of people just for one person, **_he thought sleepily. He sighed, and closed his eyes. Suddenly he heard a noise. Startled, he opened his eyes, and was astonished to see a young woman crying near the tree outside. Sitting up, he blinked again, but the woman had disappeared.

_**What? I was sure I saw something,**_ he thought. Frowning, he walked over to the window and opened the panes, but there was not a single sound heard in the night.

_**It has probably been a long day for me,**_ he considered, _**It's time for me to get some sleep, otherwise I'll look terrible tomorrow.**_

**~0~**

The next day, to Yukikaze's and others' intense surprise, the begleiter ceremony was surprisingly postponed.

"Wonder what's happening?" someone remarked.

"Perhaps they haven't got all the alcohol ready yet," someone else joked. There was some laughter, but Yukikaze didn't join in. He looked around, a thoughtful expression on his face. His keen eyes didn't miss the quick footsteps of his teachers, the furtive looks exchanged by some of the chairmen present, and the presence of some important military figures, including Admiral Miroku.

Everyone was excused to go wherever they wished, considering that they had all passed; the ceremony was to be held that evening instead.

Yukikaze strode up to one of his familiar—and favourite—teachers, Lloyd Sensei. "Sensei!" he called, rushing up to the white haired man. Lloyd Sensei turned around, an eyebrow raised, and Yukikaze asked, "What's happening Sensei?"

Lloyd Sensei stared at him, and then chuckled. "Of course you would notice," Sensei lightly replied, "I'm looking forward to your ceremony tonight." Yukikaze continued to stare at him intently, and finally the white-haired man sighed.

"Remind me to ask forgiveness for blabbing every single secret to you," Lloyd Sensei grumbled. He looked around, and then whispered, "Well, Yukikaze-kun, it appears that we are about to go into war very soon...perhaps in a few days."

His words had vanished every thought from Yukikaze's mind. This was the last thing he had ever expected to hear from his teacher. War...in a few days...what?!

Lloyd Sensei noticed Yukikaze's troubled expression and replied, "I've said enough. You'll find out tonight from your new superior."

"At least you can tell me who I've got!" Yukikaze exclaimed, but Lloyd Sensei laughed.

"Haha, like I would tell you that at least!" Lloyd Sensei chuckled, "Off with you now Yukikaze-kun! How I'll miss you in this academy...I hope someone brilliant like you shows up soon, otherwise I'll get bored again."

Yukikaze bowed, his face slightly flushed with the Sensei's praise. He walked off, his thoughts spinning from the Sensei's news.

They were going to war! A tingling shiver passed over Yukikaze's body, and a huge grin swept over his face. He couldn't believe the timing...immediately after he would graduate, he would actually go into battle! Grand visions swept into his mind: him wielding the Barsburg Flag, bravely slaying every single enemy in his path, saving his friends, and getting a promotion...

A familiar noise startled him out of his thoughts. Snapping out of his reverie, he noticed a brown-haired lady staring at him intently. He shivered, and his eyes widened when he realized it was the same woman from last night. He took a step towards her, but she had disappeared...again!

"This is crazy," he muttered, "I'm being stalked by a ghost, or I'm going paranoid." He decided to go get some lunch, famished. Perhaps he would go to the library after that and look for more information.

**~0~**

"It's Admiral Miroku!" one of his friends excitedly whispered. Yukikaze rolled his eyes and remarked, "Really...as if this is the first time you saw him in your life."

"Hey," his friend glared, "It's true!"

"He was here this morning," Yukikaze wearily replied.

"Pay attention! It's starting!" someone else hissed, silencing their argument. Yukikaze focused his attention to the front, and then realized that there was a familiar silver-haired man standing among the crowd of the higher-ups.

_**Is that...Ayanami-sama?!**_ Yukikaze realised with a start. He stood up, trying to get a better look at the man. Yes...it was him! He was sure of it, from the records he had looked at. Looking closer, he noticed that one of his subordinates was there; the dark-haired man with sunglasses (he always wondered whether they were prescription glasses or sunglasses...the files never mentioned). The dark-haired man sported a grin, and Yukikaze recognized him as Hyuuga-san.

"And now we will proceed!" Admiral Miroku announced, "We shall be going in alphabetical order; once you hear your name, please make your way across the stage to your superior, shake their hand, and remain there." Since there were only 15 graduates this year (the second lowest according to the military records—the record low was only 8), Yukikaze knew he would be the last one called.

He watched intently as each one of his classmates made their way across the stage. He felt a strange thrill every time the Admiral didn't call Ayanami-sama's name—he wasn't sure if he was excited, or scared—until it was his turn.

"Yukikaze!" the Admiral called out. Somehow the strength had left his knees, but he forced himself to walk. Every other superior was left; it was only Ayanami-sama and Hyuuga-san standing on the stage now.

"Congratulations Yukikaze-kun, please meet your new superior," Admiral Miroku began, inclining his head towards Major General Ayanami. Yukikaze felt his breath leave him, and he stared at his new superior, awed and amazed.

"This is Yukikaze," Miroku was saying to Ayanami, "He will be your begleiter for the next 5 years." Remembering his manners, Yukikaze bowed before the silver-haired superior.

"I'm honoured to meet you Ayanami-sama," Yukikaze began, bending up and staring at him. He thought he saw a soft glint in his superior's eyes, but Ayanami's face was completely emotionless. "It will be my greatest pleasure to serve and learn from you," Yukikaze finished politely. _**I hope I made a good impression on him!**_ Yukikaze thought. Worry was starting to invade his thoughts; he had heard the terrifying rumours of how the Major General supposedly had a whip...

"Likewise," his superior finally responded, staring at him. Yukikaze felt the amethyst eyes bore into him, almost as if he was staring beyond, into his soul.

"Yay, Aya-tan's begleiter is so handsome!" Hyuuga suddenly remarked. Yukikaze immediately felt his face flush, but before he could say anything, there was a loud crack in the air.

**~0~**

Well, at least one of the rumours was true.

Ayanami-sama did have a whip. He did use it for punishment.

**~0~**

Ayanami was calmly winding his whip and stated, "This is Hyuuga: the laziest, most useless person with paperwork. You'll get used to his ways soon. Come now, we have a war to win." Yukikaze stared at the two men in disbelief and apprehension...the Major General actually whips his subordinates!

"Come now," Ayanami said again, a touch of impatience in his voice. Yukikaze scrambled after him, not wanting to feel the harsh sting of the coiled whip on his own body.

"From your records, I'm told you are extremely skilled in defensive zaiphon," Ayanami began as they walked down the hall.

"Yes," Yukikaze replied, "I was first aware of my skill when I was 5. Since then, I have tried to develop it into both a weapon as well as a helping hand." He noticed the two men exchange a quick look; was that a good sign?

He sighed. _**This is going to be interesting,**_ he thought, _**Already one rumour has been proven true...I wonder whether they really are warsfeil? **_He didn't dare voice his thoughts out loud; the last thing he wanted was being flogged on his first day of being a begleiter.

**~0~**

"Not bad," Ayanami responded, looking at him. Yukikaze had his first duel with him, and he nearly died from apprehension. He was frightened—not necessarily of his superior, but of the fact of failing.

_**I want him to see me as an asset,**_ thought Yukikaze, _**Even if the entire military spreads rumours about him, as his begleiter, I want him to know that he can rely on** **me!**_ Determination seared through him, and he stood taller.

"You might just prove to be a formidable opponent in battle," Ayanami responded, "We will be marching out within a few days, so prepare yourself."

Yukikaze saluted, and bowed again. Looking up, he thought he saw a pair of green eyes, but it was gone before he could blink.

**~0~**

Yukikaze decided to write a journal. As a begleiter, and now in the war, he had been separated from his friends, and the Blackhawks were all very intimidating (yet interesting) people to talk too. He still felt new, raw, to this world, and he thought that by keeping a journal, he would be able to keep his mind occupied.

Looking at the previous pages, he noticed that his journal was filled with observations, namely of his superior:

_Whenever Ayanami-sama is in deep thought, he twirls the nub of his pen between his fingers, making light marks on his gloves._

_Ayanami-sama actually likes it when Hyuuga addresses him as "Aya-tan". Despite that, he dislikes it when Hyuuga whines his name constantly, especially two or more times. _

_Ayanami-sama prefers tea during the day, while coffee in the night or whenever it's cold. He dislikes sugar, but is partial to cream. He would rather drink tea or coffee rather than have a meal, being the convenience of movement._

_Ayanami-sama will always listen to Kuroyuri, and talk to him the most respectfully out of everyone, no matter what. He also seems to share a very deep bond with the Blackhawks, as if they were all having silent conversations with him._

_Ayanami-sama sometimes mutters names of the Blackhawks, including my name. He seems to particularly do this whenever he's in deep thought, or when he thinks nobody is looking. Every time he does, his fists tighten._

_Ayanami-sama always thanks Katsuragi, even for a small task._

_Ayanami-sama writes with his left hand, but eats with his right hand._

_**I never knew I was this observant,**_ thought Yukikaze, _**but one thing is right...Ayanami-sama is very interesting.**_ Suddenly, something occurred to him. He remained in deep thought for a few seconds, and then a broad smile spread across his face.

"I know," he whispered. Taking out a sheet of paper, and dabbing his pen with ink, he began to write.

_The best way to represent Ayanami-sama would be to compare him to grey. It may appear grey at a first glance, but when one burrows deeper, there are actually different shades of grey entwined deeply as intricate details..._

**~0~**

"Thank you," Ayanami replied, looking at him from the saucer. Yukikaze grinned, elated. _**I'm so happy!**_ Yukikaze thought, _**he loves my tea!**_

"What ingredient did you put?" Ayanami remarked, "I have never tasted this brand before. It's certainly better than that military slop that Hyuuga dared to put in front of me."

Yukikaze couldn't help but laugh. "That's a secret," he winked (later on, he couldn't believe what he had done...he _winked_ at his superior?! He must have been insane!).

**~0~**

Strangely, his dreams appeared to be haunted with that mysterious brown-haired woman. She certainly was pretty, but she always seemed so sad. He would always watch her walking around, looking here and there, and then at him. Once their eyes would meet, he would wake up, drenched in sweat.

"Come on," he muttered, running a hand through his damp blonde hair, "You have another day to survive."

**~0~**

It suddenly occurred to Yukikaze one day that his superior would probably make a wonderful dancer.

The strange thought came to Yukikaze in the middle of battle. After finishing off an enemy, Yukikaze turned around, and was transfixed by the sight before him.

His silver-haired superior, simply put, was a _god_. He was so graceful and lithe in his movements; as if he had wings, he would lightly spin on the ground; his attacks were always precise and neat, and his expression...so determined, so _intense_.

_**I wonder whether he has ever had an intimate relationship? **_thought Yukikaze. Before he could think further, a new foe caught his attention. Soon he was caught up in the torrent again.

**~0~**

One evening, Yukikaze wrote a new line in his journal:

_Ayanami-sama likes it when I laugh. He smiled a genuine smile today._

He looked at his words, shocked but satisfied. He had grown very close to his superior—Hyuuga-san dangerously remarked that they were a married couple, causing him to blush while Ayanami immediately whipped him till he had to go to the infirmary.

"Please smile more Ayanami-sama," Yukikaze whispered, "Not just for me, but for the others too."

He wrote another line:

_Ayanami-sama is my king._

**~0~**

"Yukikaze," Ayanami began. Yukikaze immediately looked up from the map he was poring at earlier. "Do you regret...having me?" Ayanami slowly asked.

Yukikaze frowned, and immediately answered, "What? Of course not! I would gladly follow Ayanami-sama anywhere, even to the ends of the earth!"

_**Why would he ask that question?**_ Yukikaze wondered, _**unless...**_

"I would willingly die for you Ayanami-sama!" He claimed. Suddenly, he took his superior's gloved hands into his own, and continued, "Have faith in my Ayanami-sama. I will prove my loyalty and devotion to you one day!"

He stared at his superior intently. Ayanami gave a light smile and replied, "You already have. Who is the faithful subordinate, my sparring partner by my side in the battlefield? Who is the only person that can brew the perfect tea and coffee? Who is the great advisor by my side?"

Yukikaze continued to stare up at his superior. _**Don't worry Ayanami-sama,**_ he thought determinedly, _**I will remove every ounce of distrust in your heart one day. You are my king Ayanami-sama, and I would do anything for my king. I've come this far, and I won't stop here...**_

**~0~**

Of course Yukikaze knew that it was going to happen.

Was he ready for it? Sort of...considering he joined the military knowing that this would happen, but it never occurred to him that it would actually occur at such a young age for him.

Was he ready for what would happen _after_? Nope...definitely not.

**~0~**

It started on a cold, grey morning.

It was the 38th day of the battle in the Northern part; today, they were fighting in the deep snow, struggling to maintain their balance along with trying to kill their foes.

It happened so suddenly, he was caught completely unaware. After finishing off one, he felt a sudden tingle, and gasped. Looking down, his vision began to spin when he saw something sharp poking out of his stomach. He dimly realized it was a sword.

The world began to swirl around him. His ears seemed to no longer work, and he felt sleepy...so sleepy.

_**Sleep...**_

**~0~**

"OW!" he yelled, angrily opening his eyes. He glared at the fuzzy outline in front of him. "What the hell was that for?" he angrily cried. His vision slowly focused back, and he saw that there was a woman kneeling in front of him—that same woman from his dreams and those creepy vision-freak-out-moments!

His next words were caught in his throat when he noticed her for the first time. She wasn't just pretty..._she was beautiful_. Her long chocolate hair fell around her in luxurious waves; he reached out his hand and began to stroke her hair. She immediately jerked back, and he brought his hand back, realizing what he was doing.

"So-sorry," he stuttered, "I didn't mean to..."

She gave a smile (it wasn't her real one, he immediately noticed, it was one of those tight, I-know-a-terrible-secret smiles...it reminded him immediately of Ayanami).

"Hello, what is your name?" she asked. Her voice was surprising light, almost as if she was singing.

"Yu-Yukikaze," he replied slowly, "And you? Where am I? Wasn't I in the middle of war—?" His voice cut off when he realized he couldn't really remember anything beyond that...was he really in the middle of a battle? What happened? Is this another dream?

"I am Eve," she replied, "As for your next questions...I don't know how to answer it."

"Do you know the answer?" he cautiously asked. Why did her name sound familiar? Did he read it somewhere before? He racked his mind, trying to remember...no, it wasn't his friends' siblings' names...no, it wasn't one of those porn books his friend hid under his pillows...no, not a name of Hyuuga's candy...where?

"Yes," she replied, "But I don't know how to tell you without you getting upset."

"Oh," he replied. A silence fell over the two. He looked around, and saw grey. "Where is this?" he asked, changing the subject. Maybe he wandered off?

"I don't know myself," Eve replied, frowning, "I myself am lost...I seem to have also lost my stallion...and much more." Her face was suddenly stricken, as if she was on the verge of having a mental breakdown.

Yukikaze stiffened. His interaction with the members of the opposite sex had been extremely limited. The last time he met a female, he nearly got killed (the Begleiter Exam...). "Uhm...here," he said, extracting his handkerchief out of his pocket, "Sorry, it's a little dirty."

Eve looked at his outstretched hand, and to his utter surprise, she laughed. It sounded like bells tinkling.

"You're funny," she gasped between her laughter, "You remind me of him...both of you are so bad with females!"

"Him?" he questioned.

Once again, some of the joy from her face faded.

"Yes," she replied dreamily, looking into the distance, "Him...my favourite mistake."

"What? Who?" Yukikaze asked. He was getting slightly impatient. Here he was, lying in the middle of fog, talking to a (beautiful) woman who seemed clueless in their location, and he had no idea what he was doing here!

"Ok me, wake up," he muttered, "You have to get Ayanami-sama's tea ready...you also need to find that paper regarding the coordinates..."

Eve laughed again, and he looked at her, somewhat frustrated.

"You're not making this easier for me," he complained. Eve smiled and said, "I guess it's time you knew...this isn't a dream."

"Oh?" he asked, "What is it then?"

"Well Yukikaze," she said, still smiling, "It appears you've died."

* * *

_Is what Eve saying true? What will Yukikaze do now, if he really has died? What's our begleiter hero going to do now?_

_Find out more in the next chapter._

_Thank you for reading!_


End file.
